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wiVfaww !& njjj'N'jjf1"' u.AfcSla.iaavit:THE SMOKY HILL AND REPUBLICAN UNION."WE JOIN OURSELVES TO NO PARTY THAT DOES NOT CARRY THE FLAG, AND KEEP STEP TO THE MUSIC OF THE UNION;5'tVolume II.JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1862.Number 7.A COHTEST FOB A WIFE.a mountain valley. tinntAv hflrerpdInfrom the northern winds, stood the littlej 7 e-j ...-.-cottage oi ttabnel Heath. Its occupant, anold deer hunter, had been a wanderer amongthe Ottowas. Without society, except theiroccasional companionship, and wholly weded to the wild life, yet as age came on himhe pined to return to his kind, and wearsocial fetters.Helena Heath inherited from her motherthe daughter of a canadian.hunter bothher name and the roaming spirit of herrace. From the days of earliest recollection she had been at her father's side onthe wild prairie, or ranging over tho mountains. Tho old hunter delighted in nothingmore than predatory skirmishes with theIndians, who were wont to acknowledgewe debt with interest. Once,.with onlytwo comrades, he was surrounded in histrapping lodge, and forced to stand a week'sseige. Then the fearless conduct of hisdaughter, child as she was, won from hima hunter's praise and a fatherly pride.It was a singular training that sho received; wandering over an uninhabited'country with a rude hunter, shut out fromeducation, and only taught to read andjrite by An accidental visit for a few weeksat a missionary station, without means ofrefinement, and having for the language oftier mind only what could be learned fromtho voice of nature in its deepest seclusion.She loved the green woods and the mightyforests, for there her soul could live beyondthe rough influenco of the only life sho hadever known.Such was the character of our heroinewhen old Gabriel Heath exchanged hiswandering life for a residence in the littlecottage on the hill.Here a few acres supplied him with manyor the necessaries of life, and be had anopportunity to follow, at his pleasure, thebusiness of his youth ; and comfort seemedto circle round the cottage home, whoseexterior was rendered somewhat pirturesqueby the natural taste of the daughter.On line days old Heath tilled the groundor hunted among the neighboring bills andby the side of the streams; and in unpleasant weather he sat by the fireside, smokedhis pipe, and told huge stories of old adventures. A thriving villago lay just behind therange of hills among which the cottage wasnestled, though the cottagers formed butlittle society with its inhabitants.Long exposure to the sun had veiled butnot hidden the beauty of Helena's fairpmplcction with a rich olive, and added toher charms. Constant exposure had givenfirmness and elasticity to her limbs. Nowonder, then, though but seldom seen, andstill more seldom addressed, she was deemedthe belle of the eurrounding country.Hamblers among the hills had noticed thefair cottager, and became infatuated withher beauty and even became suitors for herhand; but they had all been repulsed.The bold and adventurous she disliked forthe coarseness which generally characterizedthem. Few of the different characterswhich constantly visited her, did she trouble herself to notice. Of this latter number the most prominent was Thomas Gifforda young lawyer, who had opened his officein the tillage. Educated in an easternuniversity, and naturally of a retiring castof mind, Gifford had always avoided theworld and lived on with his books, consequently but a part of his oharacter hadiasyet been developed. In his eyes, the beautiful cottager was the type of what the philosopher had long sought to find, and hedetermined to obtain the reality of thechild-freshness while they could only conceive tho ideal. He therefore resolved tomend his deficiencies in her eyes, and hissanguine nature hoped the restOld Heath looked upon marriage as anecessary evil which one ought to enduresometimes, and he determined that nonebut a man after his own heart should pos..yvsg his daughter; and the qualificationsnecessary, in his view, were strength andagility in manly sports. He took no painsto conceal his determination, and it was surprising how suddenly such games rose infavor with tbe young villagers.Time passed, and among those who hadgained the applause of the old hunter wasa sturdy pioneer named Alexander Wilson,though as yet he had not shown any preference for the young forester. Time hadalso brought the heart of the young lawyerto the feet of the beautiful young cottagegirl, while to her his breathing of heartattachment had become an episode wellcherished.We have forgotten to mention that oyerthe range of hills that formed the picturesque landscape about the mountain home,a noble river 6pread its limpid waters.Gifford bad always enjoyed all the sportsthat can be gathered from a rural freedom.Strong at the oar, unerring in tho aimat target shooting, and sinewy in the leaping wager, he had become quite a favorite,as well as the eavy of his contemporaries.In all his manly feats Helena Heath wasthe first to praise; and while her pride ofbis masculine acquirements was increasing,she could not but feel admiration for hismental attainments; which, after all, founda something kindred and congenial ia herown bosom tOne afternoon as young " Gifford wasttrojiug ftloag the shores of the streamabove mentioned, he saw the favorite ofold Heath, the trapper, Wilson, push outin his skiff. Having frequently beenbrought in contact with him while pursuingfavorite feats of strength, Gifford, out offriendship, walked to the water's edge andwished him a pleasant voyage." It cannot but be pleasant such a day asthis. Come, try a hand with us at the oarthis splendid weather," returned Wilson.The temptation was too great to be withstood, and Gifford stepped into the boat,which in a moment shot upon the stream,rising and falling with the waves, andyielding to the pressure of the oars. For along time the skiff continued to move uponthe water. At last the breeze stiffened,und the two companions rested upon theiroars to enjoy the movement of the boat asit tossed to aod fro. The sun was sinkingslowly in the west, and djrting its horizontal rays across the trouble waters. At lastWilson said with a smile:" It is now sunset and eventide. I havean engagement; let us return to land.""Certainly," said Gifford; "especiallyif your rendezvous be of an interesting nature, perchance with a ladylove."" You aro good at guessing," was thereply." You have, then, an evening tryst ?""Yes with the prettiest girl in thecountry."Gifford thought of his beautiful Helena,and wished his friend possessed one as fairand true. For a few moments both weresilent, and then as they approached theland resumed the conversation."My fair one is very fair. Though Iam but a pioneer, I know how to valuequalifications like hers."" Ah !" replied bis companion ; " youaro happy then ; but tell mc who this fairone is."" It is a secret ; none but but you havebeen allowed even to whisper of .such arelation," said Wilson." A secret sweet and precious, repliedGifford, laughing."But I too have a heart's idol one whois very kind, and pure as the Virgin. Nowfor a mutual exchange of secrets, confessyour ladylove and you shall know my own."" You would force a confession," remarked Wilson. Very well, but as I have swornnot to utter her name, had I a scrap of paper I would write it, then wc could exchange."Gifford produced a blank leaf from amemorandum, and drew a pencil and wrotethe magic uame. Wilson likewise, andthen they exchanged papers. Wilson readon his " Helena Heath." Gifford read onbis "Helena Heath." Their eyes met;Wilson was embarrassed, Gifford pale withagitation and anger." Very well," said Wilson, " it seems tome that our mistresses are one and thesame.""Impossible! I know Helena Heath toowell," returned Gifford. "All that youhave said of her is false !"Wilson had all the subdued spirit of tberestless adventurer. His cmbarassmentvanished and he became furious. " False,"he echoed fiercely." Yes, an infamous lie !" responded Gifford. Stung to the quick he grasped an oar inboth hands, and leveled it at his companion's head. Gifford evaded the blow, andsprang upon his enemy like a tiger. Wilson dropped the weapon, and the two wereclosed in a farious embrace. They struggled, rose to their feet and falling wereplunged headlong into tbe stream, lbewaves closed over them, and the Bkiff, halffilled with water, slowly drifted out to sea.In a moment both rose to the surface, stillclasped in fierce embrace. The shade ofnight was closing around them, but therewas light enough for them to glance at eachother and gather fresh courage at the sight.Wilson loosed his hold on his antagonist,to level a blow at his head, but Giffordparried it, and grasp him by the throat, andonce more both disappeared beneath thesurface of the water. Gifford's energyseemed the most powerful, and tho pioneer,lashed to fury, seized tbe jack knife that hehad purloined from the pocket of his enemyand opened it with his teeth, and plungedit into the bosom of the young lawyer, who,with a bubbling cry, released his hold.Night set in, and the dark waves rolledheavily. As he paused to regain hisstrength he saw the form of his inanimatecompanion tossed about on the stream, Itwould be impossible to portray the thoughtsthat rushed through his mind. Oh ! howbitterly did he regret being so rash. Having regained his strength, the young manbegan to make for the shore, which hegained.Two days after the following announcement appeared in the village gazette :"A most lamentable occurrence tookplace on ' evening. A young law student, named Gifford, well kaown in thisvicinity, accompanied by a young mannamed Wilson in a boat ride up the river.A sudden crust of wind upset tbe boat, andboth were plunged into the river. Wilsonmade his escape by swimming, but hiscompanion found a watery grare." , SThe dream of happiness of Helena Heathwas now at an end. With all the piognantgrief that the susceptible heari. can feel;she lamented the sad fate of her lover,while she could not repress the chagrin shefelt at the idea that some adventurous favorite of her father would usurp the preeminence that she had given him.Nearly two years had elapsed, andHelena Heath still remained unmarried. OldHeath bad selected young Wilson far hisfuture son-in-law, and he sought to commend him to his daughter ; but, meetingwith indifference and denial, he resolved toselect from the large circle of the hardy andathletic young men the one whose featswere the greatest, aud compel her to receivehim as her lord.At last the day came for the allottedtrial, and to the spot marked out for therendezvous many an eager aspirant came.Among those was a newly arrived settler,who had often made the sinewy and boldlook palid with envy at his success.The first trial was that of leaping. Oneby one the competitors joined in, until aperfect Ajax in limb reached seventeen feet.This settled the question: still, notwithstanding this proof of bis prowess, the oldhunter heemed dissatisfied at the idea ofmarrying his daughter to such a stranger.He resolved to become better acquaintedwith his skill and strength, and suddenlyturning, he said :" Come, boys, let's have a little riflepractice two shots apiece, remember."A painted nail was partly driven into atree. Tho heroes of the other exercisemade trial, but were wide from the nail'shead. The stranger rubbed his bands, audseizing the rifle took rapid aim. The nailwas driven into the tree. The unknownmarksmen once more fired ; the nail's headwas bent double. This was more than therival, who was no other than young Wilson,could bear, and he walked off.All congratulations were offered the luckyvictor. Old Gabriel Heath placed the handof the reluctant Helena in Ins; but she,still treasuring tbe memory of him whomshe had so much admired, and who hadopenedher mind to the world of intellectualbeauty, remonstrated against her father'schoice to no purpose.For a while the victor visited the abodeof the hunter, chatted with him, and walked with the daughter. They talked longand fervently together, and he spoke inglowing terms of his love for her. Shestarted at this, for the image of her lostlover seemed to rise and rebuke her." You love another, then ?" said he.' Remember that I won you by my prowess." These words in some tones, might havemade her indiguant; but now they onlytended to dissipate her reserve, as shereplied :What you have said is true. I owethe deepest and richest debt to another, v. hotranslated to me the mysterious teachingof nature. I love him, and though he iforever lost to me, yet while I exist I willlive for no other hut him."While she was thus speaking, the hunterwas regarding her with a serious expression,which hardly become a rejected lover. Shewas turning from him, when he detainedher, and said :"This was the young lawyer, Gifford,was it not ?""It was," she replied, looking in hisface, where the smile had settled intoanxiety," Blessings on you for that word !' hecried ; " I am the loug lost one the rescued and the redeemed !"It was indeed young Gifford,who, throughan unseen and mysterious Providence, hadnot been drowned, but was saved from awatery grave by a fisherman, whose kindcare had restored him to life and strength.He told her how he had returned to thevillage just in time to hear of the wager ofprowess for her band; and, confident thathe should be brought to her again, -he dissembled himself, and gained the victory.It is needless to say that the joy of meetinghim, of whom he supposed himself the murderer, was so great that Wilson thoughtbut little of the refusal that be ultimatelyreceived from Helena. He could hardlybelieve his eyes until the generous Giffordtook his hand and faithfully promised neverto reveal the circumstances of the boat ride,and forgave him for his rashness.Tbe two rivals were rivals no longer, andGifford lived with tbe lovely daughter ofGabriel Heath daring many years of happiness, and, successful in business and generous in thought, he was the. pride of thevillage.-Age tempered the rashness of Wilson,who, after the decease of old Gabriel Heath,was the quotation of his pioneer friends.Thomas Gifford never revealed the secrettill his dying day.t9 Want, sorrow, disease, all that mencall evils, are but disciplinarians that insistupon the scholar's learning his lesson himself, and punish him till he does.mItjU A young lady, ou being asked whatcalliofir she wished her sweetheart to follow,blashingly replied that she wished him tobe a husbandman.r aaA man in xrerrou aavertises tor apartner in the nurserybusiness. A aewway, perhaps, of adverbsing'for a wife."aaT A flower is sweeter tbe more itpressed. So is ayoang woman.IS-1" it m 1law? Value' the friendship of hituwhostand" bv you ia the stsrm : swarias ofinsects will surround you in the lulshiae.Smob Jjill anb llcpb'n Virion,PUBLISHED EVEKT SiTL&DAT MOUSING BTWM. S. BLAKELY, - - - GEO. W. MAItTIX,-A.t Junction- City, Kansas.OFFICE IS 'BRICK BUILDING. CORNER OFSEVENTH fr WASHINGTON Srs.TL&M9 OF SCBSCBIPTIO :One copv, one year.Ten copies, one year, ...J3 001500Payment required in nil cases in advance.AH papers discontinued at the expiration of thetime for which payment is receiv ed.terms or advertising:One square, first insertion, -Eachsubsequent insertion,$1.0050Ten lines or less being a square.Ycaily advertisements inserted on liberal terms.jobwoekdon with dispatch, and in the latest style ofthe art.iCT Payment required for all Job Work ondelivery.THE PICKETS BUSS.Private Joel Smapes, of a hard-working,tough-sinewed regiment of Vermont volunteers, was a good shot and a smart soldier.He found great satisfaction in picket duty,and hardly came in after a day's oxercise inthat branch of military industry withouthaving a report to make to his superiorofficer of some new work discovered, someconversation overheard, somo little chancecircumstances perceived, that might be ofuse in gaming an advantage over tbe enemy.Joel was a long, lank, yellow-hairedfellow, not very soldierly in speech or bearing, but of infinitely more service thanmany a one of our snug, dapper, goodlooking city soldiers. He was frightfullydun burned, and his face, coarse featuredand demure, suggested good humor andpower of indurnnce, more than courage ordiscipline. But there was a twinkle abouthis small gray eyes, which enlivened them,despite their scanty and characterless whitelashes, and impressed the closer sort ofobscrvor with a wholesome Tespect for hiscourage and intelligence. II is nasal voiceand drawl, his round shoulders and fiatbuild, could not shake this respect so longas one kept those clear, cool, foreseeing evesin sight; and Joel's comrades prophesidthat he had only to behave himself, aodkeep on his own way, to gain a pair ofepaulets one fine day.He openly declared that manual labor onearthworks was distasteful to him ; and hisofficers knowing his value at picket duty,evinced enough consideration for him tokeep bim at that service.The position that he liked best was onthe slope of a bill, opposite a similar slope,occupied by a sentinel of the Confederates,Tbe last was quite a high bit of ground,whence one might see a great deal of whatwas going on about tbe batteries furtherdown. Joel believed that the sentinel therestatioued learned more than was well forour side. Ho accordingly barrassed andannoyed everyone that showed bis head onthe hillside opposite, and left several adventurous fellows stretched out on the turf,one after another, as a reward for tbeirtemerity.It was nearly a quarter of a mile off, but,as I have said, the long Vermonter was agood shot, and it becamo really dangerousfor the enemy's pickets to show themselvesat all near the forbidden hillside. Theysoon learned their lesson, and very naturally acted upon it.Joel, sauntering down his path one fineafternoon, heard a sharp report, and felt tbewind of a rifle ball that came wonderfullynear his head. Turning quickly, be sawthe smoke floating up from a little pile offresh earth on the hill opposite. The enemy had dug a pit, wherein tbe sentinelcould sit at ease, and expose his head andarms only when he fired. Private Smapeshastened with praiseworthy prudence to getout of sight, among some cedar3, andwatched for some time before quite fixingthe location of the foemtn again. Finally,discovering the fresh earth once more, andimagining that he saw a hat just above it,he took a shot in the direction. Up peggeda tall .sentinel, bareheaded, and returnedthe fire' instantly. He had only been tryingthe old trick of putting his bat on aranarod." Tbis'll never dew," soliloquized JoeL" That cuss has got tew good a berth overyonder. I'll jusrbave tew rouse hist out."Th other sentinel's death warrant was insome sort signed from that moment. Thecrafty Vermonter? brain was at work onthe problem of dislodging his maa thenceforth. So long as Joel kept quiet so did hisantagonist;7 but it was presumable that hecould see the batteries in process of construction, without exposing his head, forthe earth taken from tbe pit was carefullypiled up ou the side toward Joel.From a thicket at the foot of the twohills, however, ft shot could be thrownlengthways of the trench, and behind thistrifiiag breastwork. To gaia tbe thicket,theawithout beiag too visible oa tbe barren slope, was Joel's idea. iThe next day Private Smapes tosk withhiss a long piece of stout twine and a loaded reyolver, when be went oat oa picketduty. It was act yet dayligbfcbat.taegray and iedietinet light of dawn had beganto pale ia the east 'The sentinel, as soon ta the gaerd peseedilna. beeteaed to drive a smooth stake latotbe ground, and to rest-bis musket oyerfork in a cedar tree in front of the stake,the muzzle of the weapon pointing in thedirection of the pit on tbe further slope.He then cocked the piece, and havingfastened one end of the cord to the trigger,began stealthily crawling down the hill onhis hands and knees, paying out the line ashe went.It was a hazardous experiment, for thethicket, when he gained it, was very sparse,and so near to the point that the Confederate sentry, had he suspected Joel's presencethere, could hardly have failed to hit him.Lying down, however, the Vermonterawaited sunrise, and as the shadows fadedaway in the mists of morning, he saw thelight gleam upon a bayonet peering fromthe trench on the hillside." Now for to make him show his pictcr,"said Joel to himself.Ho pulled the string carefully at first,till it was drawn tight, and then a slightextra tug fired the musket from the cedarabove.He bad not calculated wrongly. As soonas the rifleman in the pit heard this matinal salutation from the enemy over opposite,as he supposed, he raised himself up to return the fire, and brought his bead andshoulders plainly into sight.The next instant be went heels overheadinto the trench again, with a bullet fromthe unarriog Colt straight through the sideof his bead." The darned fool P said Private Smapes," didn't he know a fellow might shoot off agun without having hold on to it ?"The Confederate pickets decided thereafter that the position was too exposed to beprofitably occupied.THE BALD EAGLKThe Said Eagle was chosen the emblemof the United States because its characteristics are courage aud untamability, andbecause it is equally an inhabitant of thetorrid and frigid zones ; and for its capability of collecting its food on the sea aodland. For these and other reasons it gradually came to be considered (contrary,however, to the wish of Dr. Franklin) theanimal most emblematic of the NorthAmerican Republic As wo have at handsome interesting stories of the eagle, iremight just as well add them to our answerto your query : The eagle, the conqueringsymbol of ancient Rome, is still displayedupon the banners of many States. Kingof birds, the poet make him bear tbethunderbolts of Jove. Euripides says :" The birds, in general, are tbe messengersof the cods, but tbe eagle is Kim;, andthe interpreter of the great deity, Jupiter."The Egyptians consecrated tho eagle toAtxmon, In the Scandinavian Mythologythe eagle, reposing on the highest bough ofthe mystic ash tue tree of life and between his eyes a hawk, was the symbol ofProvidence life, power, watchfulness.The Roman sceptre was surmounted withthe head of an eagle. This was adoptedby Tarquin, on whose entrance to Rome aneagle took off his cap, circled twice aroundhis chariot, and then put it on again. Ithas been supected, however, that this eaglebad pecn trained to perform the feat. Butif so, tbe seeming prodigy had its valuo inthe popular belief. Tbe selection of Constantinople, tbe ancient Byzantium, as theseat of the Eastern Empire, is said to havebeen directed by an eagle. ConBtantinehad fixed upon the seat of ancient Tyre,and tho engineers were laying out the city,when -an eagle came) seized upon the measuring line, flew off with it, and dropped itin Byzantium. Such, at least, was thestory to tbe soldiers and marines to reconcile them to tbe change of plan, which theymight otherwise have thought a- bad omen.Pliny relates a story of an eagle, which hasbeen gravely doubted ; but we do not seethat it is more improbable than the rest.A young maiden of Sestos reared up ayonng eagle, which became so much attached to her that, when she died, and was laidupon the funeral pile, he flew to her,alighted on her body, and perished in tbeflames. There is nothing more probablethan that a tame eagle should thus alightupon the body of his mistress; and if theflames Tose quick and fleice, as they probably would, he may very well have beenunable to escape. An eagle 'saved the lifeof a famous woman. Helen, the beauty ofGreece, was about to be sacrificed, in hergirlhood, to induce the iods to turn aside apestilence. She stood upon the altar,crowned with sacrificial flowers, and thepriest, was about to consulate the sacrifice,when an eagle swooped down, seized theknife, and laid it upon the bead of a heifer,which was sacrificed in her stead. Eagleshave also figared in rather a different way,ia the history of Ireland, and the followingstory is believed to be aatheatic : " la thereign of Queen Elizabeth, the 0Sullivanswere the chiefs of Bear and Bantry, districtsia the County Cork ; and Phillip O'Sullivaa joined with the confederacy of O'Neiland O'JJonnel, allied with the,, Spaniards,who had landed in the south of Ireland toaid the Irish in shaking off the yoke ofEngland. The surrender of Kinsaie, in1601. rained their hopes, and O'Snllivan'scastle, of Daoboy, was besieged ; hut, afteran heroic defence, was obliged to surrender.Sir Walter Raleigh was eseoag tbe beseigera. Sir George Carew, the Qaeea's senPresident of Muaster ia aecordaaee, nodoabt, with instructions froas tbe Queea,ordered all persons found in the Cattle,after the surrender, to be put to death.The lands of the O'Sullivans were laidwaste,and the chief was obliged to retreatto Ulster, leaving his wife and children tothe care of his foster-brother, Gorrane MoSwiney, who built a hut of sods to shelterhis liege mistress, at the bottom of anenormous rock, called the Eagle's Precipice,in the Valley of Glengariff, County Cork.In those days, as in many other days beforeand since, the English, in Ireland, carrieddeath before them and left famine behind.One day, when the refugees were at theirutmost need, with no hopes or supplies,Gorrane saw an eagle flying to its eyrie,with a bare in its talons for its young ones.Twisting a rope of tbe fibres of the fir-treefound in the bogs, he climbed with his sonto tbe top of the reck, and watched untilthe eaglo flew away for food. Then he letdown the boy by tbe rope, instructing himto tic strings around the necks of the eagletsjust tight enough to hinder them fromswallowing. The boy was then drawn up,and they waited until they saw the twoeagles return, one with a rabbit, tbe otherwith a grouse, which they laid down beforetheir young, and then flew away on anotherexpedition. The boy was now let down ;he unloosed the eaglets, opened the rabbitand grouse, and fed them with tbeir offals,and father and son returned home in triumph with their o:rn game. They did thesame, day afternVy, until the country wasquiet, and the lady able to find other quarters." The Romans used the eagle on thebanners of their legions. The French,under the Empire, adopted it frdm theRomans. The double eagle of Austria istbe Union of the Eastern and WesternEmpires; and the Emperors of Austriaconsider themselves the head of the HolyRoman Eninire. Russia has her blackeagle, Poland had ber white eagle. Prussia, also, bas ber eagle. England cnose abeast instead of a bird for ber emblom ; batAmerica, her daughter, went back to theimperial and triumphant eagle.A FLBASAHT CITY.Richmond, C. S. A must be a pleasantplace to dwell in. Under date of October14th, John R. Thompson thus describestbe condition of municipal affairs in a letterto tbe Grenada Appeal:" Riohmond is now worse than Naples,worse than Baltimore was when WinterDavis was the Wilkes of the Plug Uglyswell mob of that lawless city. No onethinks of going into the Cimmerian streetsafter nightfall without arms. A large andwell-organized band of cut-throats has' taken the town.' lhey lie in wait atalmost every corner, well provided withslung shots, billies, brass knuckles-, and allother devilibh implements of mischief whichthe city highwayman uses to disable hievictims, ana they attack everybody thatwalks along; oftentimes gentlemen whenattended by ladies. That they are notfound out is a matter of grave reproach tothe city police. But this corps is so smallthat they can do littlo for the protection ofa city spread over an immense surface ofground, and without a light from one endof it to the other. That so numerous agang can infest Richmond, all walking thestreets in daytime, without ostensible meansof support, and doing nothing whatever, iaa proof of the palpable inefficiency of theconscript law. Why these men are notenrolled bv the nroner officers (for theycannot possibly be exempt) passes all comprehension. iJut a promenade down wainstreet any day will show yoa hundreds ofidlers, fashionably dressed, with overssuoktawdry jewelry, sporting watcb chains thattmVht and should hantr them, for beyondall doubt, in these croups at the corners one 'sees tbe very scoundrels that rob honestcitizens after dark. A few nights ago thenolieo made a descent noon one of the dsasor clubs of the gang, and captured sixteen,who were taken to Castle Thunder. Thereare nrobablv more than twenty times thatnumber in the oity, and unless somethingIS aone to put a wop to iueir uuiragc uuu,there will be a private patrol and somehanging done at the lamp post quite impromptu."nrciiAii of thx EoetiAH mrotrIn the time of John III. that is to say.in the second half of the 15th century, itonly occupied a surface or iv,v)V squaremiles. Iatbe reiga of Alexis Mikeaalovick, ia 1650, its exteat had already reached237,000; under that of Peter the Great,280,000; under Catherine 11, 33D,UUU;and nnder the nresent reizn. 342.000 miles.Tbe result is that the most considerableincrease took nlace under Peter tbe Greatand Catharine. The former conquered apart of Finland, the Dsghestan, and someotner Caucasian provinces, ana we cosaujof the Kirghises, and also aaaexed to theempire Kamtschatka and some islands iame racinc ucean. aae wcner j"-,Courtland. tbe rest of Finland, tbe Criawe,a part of Beeserabis; and some other Caacasian provinces, and Georgia, were subjected to the sceptre of the Czarina. Tbeooantry of tbe Amoor, aa exteat of 9,200square miles, has been annexed aader tbepresent reign. The surrender of Sehaaylpacified some provinces, which auy eoniqently be considered as bavag been addedto the Russian territory. Tbe populationhas increased ia an equal proportion. Ia1722 it was 14 millions ; in 1803, 36 stirlions; in 1820, 50 sailions; aad at presentit amounts to 65 million3.